Shame On Me...

While watching American Idol tonight I was taken aback by Vanessa Wolfe from Vonore, Tennessee. Before her audition they did a little video promo about her and I was laughing at her; what a redneck, etc. Then she talks about how she wants to make something of herself and how she's stuck and I felt so proud of her. And then she sang and I was blown away. Not what anyone expected. Good for her! I want to see her go far!

change.

We’ve got some exciting new changes for Bella Designs Studio! And the first change is our new website! Our new website is a hybrid of a blog and website; I am so blessed to be married to such a talented man! So all blog posts will be posted here from now on; as well as old posts (I am migrating them all over)! So be sure to change your blog reader, bookmarks, etc to reflect this exciting new website!

Next, is our new logo! I was very happy with my first logo, but I felt it was time for a change…I wanted something with meaning, better readability, as well as a way to integrate my logo into the watermarking for my images. Now before you ask; why the Fleur-de-Lis? Are you French? Do you love the New Orleans Saints? Let me explain. The Fleur-de-Lis is a symbol for many things; but the interpretation I like the most is the representation of faith, wisdom and chivalry. Without faith, Steven and I would have never taken the first step into starting Bella Designs Studio. If it weren’t for the wisdom that we have from the many years combined of experience we would have nothing to set us a part from our competition. And I like to see the definition of chivalry as honor; it is an absolute honor to be chosen by my client’s to do such an important job for them…capturing glimpses of memories for them to have and to hold forever. So here it is; simple and to the point…

And last, who doesn’t have a Facebook these days?! So become a fan of Bella Designs Studio; I run great Facebook Specials on there so don’t miss out!

Become a fan of Bella Designs Studio on Facebook!

Why I love what I do...

Back in August I photographed a wedding for a couple named David and Kim. Their wedding was a second marriage situation and were blending their children from previous relationships into their new family. There wedding ceremony was small and intimate and really focused on the central idea of this new family unit; something I could totally relate to. That was so important to Steven and I when we got married.

I only spent a few hours with this family (small ceremony and a dinner reception at a local restaurant) but in those few hours I can say that I was truly blessed to be apart of this special day for them. I met a family that absolutely touched my heart and know that there was a bigger reason that our paths crossed.

Yesterday I received an email from David and Kim. They were going through their snapshots on their camera from the wedding and came across this picture. This photo sums up why I love what I do. In that short amount of time with them, I went from being the 'professional wedding photographer' to being invited to sit and eat with them at their table and requested to be in family photographs. I absolutely love that my clients have that level of comfort with me; and that is why I love what I do. I get to be apart of something so big and important in people's lives. I am able to give them these little glimpses of their amazing day that they can hold on to and cherish for a lifetime. And at the end of the day I can truly say that I have made new friendships...now tell me, what is better then that?!

Kim (the bride), Caroline, and myself

I Found...

I found Jacey's aka 'Jelly Bean' future car! :-)

Mascot Match-Up : Week Three

Update: This week was a week of upsets! I went 3-7! yikes!

#14 Georgia Tech Yellowjackets @ #20 Miami Hurricanes

A measly little yellowjacket has no chance against a hurricane; even a storm as weak as a category 1. These pesky flying insects need to call FEMA!

Tennessee Volunteers @ #1 Florida Gators

The only mascots that can beat a Gator are the ones with guns; and unless we have a disgruntled volunteer, I do not see this being a good fight.

#19 Nebraska Cornhuskers @ #13 Virginia Tech Hokies

A proud farmer against a turkey. No brainer-the turkey is dinner.

#18 Utah Utes @ Oregon Ducks

I had to look up what Utah's mascot was, because everytime I hear 'Ute' I think of My Cousin Vinny :-) Utah's mascot is a red-tailed hawk; so we have a match-up between two species of birds...hawk vs duck. Gotta go with the hawk on this one.

Florida State Seminoles @ #7 BYU Cougars

Cougars stalk their prey and once they set their eye on the prize they will wait patiently until the right time to move in for the kill. Never underestimate the power of a cougar.

Texas Tech Red Raiders @ #2 Texas Longhorns

The rules of mascot match-up is to take all logic away and strictly look at the mascots; so obviously the mascot with the gun is going to take down the mascot that is an animal; no way around it. So I sure hope Raider Red eats his Wheaties on Saturday. Beef, it's what's for dinner.

#3 USC Trojans @ Washington Huskies

Armor clad soldiers on horses up against a Husky dog...really? Unless these dogs are some kind of "I am Legend' dogs, I really don't see this going too well. It will be a slaughtering.

Tulsa Golden Hurricane @ #13 Oklahoma Sooners

First off, is the name Golden Hurricane gross to anyone else? I think the Sooners are used to inclement weather being that it IS Oklahoma and all; so I predict that they own an umbrella and this will be like a stroll in the park for them.

Connecticut Huskies @ Baylor Bears

Wow, twice in one week we have Huskies; that doesn't happen to often. Those huskies better be wearing a suit of bear bells and be equipped with bear spray because they really do not stand a chance.

Tie-Break (give the score)
#23 Georgia Bulldogs 17 @ Arkansas Razorbacks 20

Wild hogs are pretty vicious. I did some research and attacks are not often fatal to humans, but may result in severe trauma, dismemberment, or blood loss. This is against a person; not an animal! With that being said, I think the razorbacks are going to fly under the radar and when the time is right they will attack the bulldogs and ultimately win!

Portraiture

Images I am turning in for critique in class tonight:

Mascot Match-Up : Week Two

Update: I went 10-0 this week!

For any new readers, I participate in a weekly College Football Pick 'Em Contest each year. For the first season I just picked based off of rankings, players, injuries, etc and did alright. But when it came time to do the NCAA Basketball Brackets later that year I knew nothing, so I decided to just pit the mascot's against each other and see who would win; and surprisingly I finished in 2nd place! So, I decided to carry this logic over to my College Football Pick 'Ems! Some weeks I am the laughing stock, but for the most part my method works! Last week I was only one point away from Champ of the Week!

Check back each week, for my little commentary and predictions. (I update this with the actual results as well is how I did in the contest each week the following week.)

Troy Trojans @ #1 Florida Gators
A gator would eat a trojan in a hot minute; unless that trojan's name is Steve Irwin. But since Steve Irwin passed away, R.I.P, I am going with the Gators.

Arkansas State Red Wolves @ #24 Nebraska Cornhuskers
These crazy-pitchfork-carrying-farmers are very protective of their territory, in fact, I bet they catch wolves with their bare hands for fun! The Cornhuskers have this game, hands down, and when they are finished they have dinner as well.

#20 BYU Cougars @ Tulane Green Wave
Tulane's mascot is a pelican named 'Riptide'; if they were playing against the Benson Bass I wouldn't be in the least bit concerned, but they aren't, they are playing the Cougars. And I don't know about you, but Cougars of all shapes, ages and sizes frighten me.

#23 Notre Dame Fighting Irish @ Michigan Wolverines
That little Leprechaun is quite frightening, he reminds me of a carnie (circus folk); so I am going to root for the wolverines...they are magically delicious.

Vandy Commodores @ #11 LSU Tigers
The Vandy Commodores mascot resembles Colonel Sanders to me, he's just missing that spiffy black tie. Overall he does not evoke much fear, much like their football team. I think when faced by the fierce tigers he will be shaking in his oversized boots.

South Carolina Gamecocks @ #13 Georgia Bulldogs
A gamecock is a rooster with physical and behavioral traits derived from breeding for cockfighting. While that sounds pretty fierce I am pretty sure a bulldog could take care of business; unless that gamecock is wearing those spur things...but I don't imagine that is the case; so I give it to the bulldogs.

Rice Owls @ Texas Tech Red Raiders
Most of my blog readers know me pretty well; so with that being said you know that I would LOVE to be a mascot for a day! I can act completely stupid and no one would even know it's me! BONUS! So, I put Raider Red up on a pedestal and have utmost faith in his gun slingin' abilities to be able to shoot an owl right between the eyes. You got this Raider Red; and if by chance you fall ill...you know who to call! WRECK EM TECH!

Mississippi State Bulldogs @ Auburn Tigers
Tigers can be very unpredictible, anyone remember Roy Horn?! To quote the infinite wisdom of the comedian Chris Rock regarding the circus tiger attacking Roy Horn, "That tiger ain't go crazy; that tiger went tiger! You know when he was really crazy? When he was riding around on a unicycle with a Hitler helmet on!" I think the Tigers will start out timid against the Bulldogs, but then instinct will kick in and they will attack the Bulldogs.


Purdue Boilermakers @ #16 Oregon Ducks
We all know who the obvious winner is here; but the ducks aren't giving me much to work with. So just enjoy this funny photo of a duck attack instead:

Give the Winner and Score:
#4 USC Trojans 27 @ #6 Ohio State Buckeyes 24

If ever there was a college that picked the pansy-est team name/mascot it would be Ohio State. They started with adopting a tree as their team name. So I guess they came to their senses and decided to make their actual a bit more fierce...they put a nut on a dude's head and named him Brutus. Yea, didn't really help much. Given this logic alone you have to give this game to the Trojans. And honestly, if Ohio State were playing the Central Michigan Chippewas, given the information stated above, I would have to go with the courageous Chippewas as well. (sidenote: if you take out the whole mascot part of this pick, this pick makes me nervous, USC has a true freshman QB starting the season, first time in school history...but I have to stay true to my mascot match-up...just had to put it out there though).

Fit To U

I recently did some promotional photography for a lady who does fitness bootcamps. She just finished her website and it looks great! The photos worked out perfectly! Check it out!

www.fittou.com

Jokes

This past Monday I lost my grandfather. It is still a little too fresh to talk about in length along with all of the feelings and emotion involved. I will write about that when I am ready.

But, I did want to share an awesome moment during all of this sadness.

We were all sitting around visiting with my grandma, reminiscing about my grandpa and we were all talking about how he loved to tell jokes. He always had a new joke for you when you saw him, and even while in the hospital he would tell jokes to all of the staff and doctors. Grandma then asked if I knew his favorite joke off all; which I didn't, so she proceeded to tell me.

"Did you hear about the two ships that collided? One was carrying red paint and the other one was carrying blue paint. Now both crews are marooned."

We all got a big kick out of that. A few hours later I received a text message from my very thoughtful brother-in-law, Les. He said he was sorry for my loss and had a joke for me to cheer me up; he proceeded to say:

"Did you hear about the two ships that collided? One was carrying...."

How awesome is that! He just told my grandfather's favorite joke, which I had NEVER heard until a few hours ago! I immediately had goosebumps; and when I shared that with the rest of my family they couldn't believe it either! It was like grandpa wanted us to hear that joke one last time!

A New School Year!

Wow, has it really been 2 months since I last blogged?! I think it is a combination of summer vacation and the fact that all of my followers are also Facebookers...so I get to catch up with them there!

Well, to kick of me blogging again I thought I would share a photo from this morning.Yep, that's our Jacey, headed to her first day of 2nd grade! I know a lot of mom's are thinking, "woohoo! summer's over, house to myself again!" But I am not. I love my time with Jacey and I just count down the time until 3pm when I can go pick her up. Most days I get there a bit early because I want to get her the second she comes out. Jacey is blossoming into such an amazing, thoughtful and responsible young lady. She is so unique and has such a great personality; she is such an incredible blessing to our family!

After we said our prayers last night she informed me that she would not be needing me to walk her in tomorrow; she could handle it on her own. Surprisingly, I wasn't sad about that. I like seeing her have some independence and taking charge of new situations.

Not only did Jacey start school today, but I start as well. My load this semester is much lighter, but I am more excited about my classes then I have ever been in the past. I am taking Digital Imaging II (heavy photoshop class) and Portraiture II (lighting and posing for portraits). I can not wait! The only drawback is that my classes are in the evenings, which cuts in to family time. But, it's only 2 days a week so it's not so bad.

I will update tomorrow on how her first day of 2nd grade went!

New Sign

My new 'No Soliciting' sign for the front window...you like?

Dog Bed Upgrade...

Tonight I went upstairs to tuck Jacey into bed. I have her go lay down and get settled and then I come upstairs and we do her prayers and I tuck her in. So tonight I came upstairs and what do I find? Zeus laying in her bed with her! Most people know I am anti-dog when it comes to the beds or furniture in the house. But it was just so cute! But, I had to put my foot down and tell him to get out of her bed. To which Jacey responds: "Mom, he can sleep on my trundle bed!" HAHA! She wanted me to pull it out partway so he could sleep on it. Of course I said no, because I don't want Zeus to develop bad habits...but still it was so darn cute!

InDesign Cover Project

Just got my grade for this project...A+!

Jacey's 1st Grade Music Program

Check out photos from Jacey's 1st Grade Music Program last Thursday! She did great!

Jacey's Music Program

Let's Go Mavs!

Today Steven took me to game 4 of the first round of playoffs for the Mavs. Anyone who knows me knows that I love to watch sports; Cowboys, Stars, Texas Tech, etc....but at the top of my list are the Mavericks...I absolutely love them! We played the San Antonio Spurs, and there is one player on that team that I can not stand, Tim Duncan. He is an absolute whiner / crybaby! So I made a sign and it was a HIT! I was told by at least 50 people that it was the best sign they had seen and several people stopped to take a picture of me with the sign. It was even featured on the Jumbo-tron!

Proud Wifey

Check this out!

Bella Blog

Check out the Bella Blog for a great photo session I had yesterday!

Neuro Update!

I went to my neurologist today to talk about the side effects of the drug I am on. She agreed that the side effects out weigh the results of the drug. So we are going cut the dosage in half and use up the rest of the Amitriptmine and then use the Zomig sprays for any migraines that flare up. Then on May 15th we are going to meet again and she is going to prescribe Topamax for the daily maintenance and Imitrex for any migraine flare ups. Topamax is also used to lower pressures in the spine and brain, and since my pressures were a bit high (from my spinal tap) this may also help with that issue...which could cure the 'whooshing' in the ear! HOORAY! So now I just need to get to May 15th. YAWN!

Finally!

Remember my blog posting all the way back on January 16th? The one about Jacey's first lose tooth? Well guess what? That sucker finally came out tonight! Only took 3 months! Good grief! Steven took some great photos; check them out:


Jacey loses her first tooth!

What's New?

It's been a while since I have blogged about life around Casa de Leija, and there is a reason why...I have been so BLAH the past few weeks! When I visited the neurologist about a month ago she decided to put me on an anti-seizure medicine (Amitriptyline). It's primary use is for treating depression, but is also an 'unapproved' treatment for migraines. Some of the side effects are drowsiness (it is a sedative), naseua and weight gain as well as altering your mood. Well, as luck would have it, I have all of those side effects. I can't seem to wake up in the morning, I feel sick to my stomach all the time, I have been really hitting the cardio/weight watchers for 3 weeks and have actually gained weight and last but not least...I am not my usual self. I am not perky at all...just very...well, blah. I was trying to let it run it's course to see if once my body gets adjusted it would go away, but the other day I really started to have some strange thoughts that I knew weren't healthy so I called the neurologist immediately and set up an appointment to discuss other options. The migraines, for the most part, have defintely lessened, but I really can not deal with these side effects. So tomorrow I go in and hopefully will have this all worked out...and I can be back to 'usual Jess'.